We report successful treatment of syphilitic
uveitis in a case series of three Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients at Malaysia's Selayang Hospital eye clinic. All three patients with syphilitic
uveitis were male, aged from 23 to 35 years old, with a history of high-risk behaviors. Of the patients, two presented with blurring of vision and only one patient presented with floaters in the affected eye. Ocular examination revealed
intermediate uveitis (case 1 and case 3) and
panuveitis (case 2). Each patient showed a high
Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) titer at presentation and they were also newly diagnosed as HIV positive with variable CD4 counts. All three patients responded well to a
neurosyphilis regimen of intravenous
penicillin G. At 3 months posttreatment, there was reduction in VDRL titer with improvement of vision in the affected eye. Diagnosis of
syphilis needs to be ruled out in all cases of
uveitis. All syphilitic
uveitis cases should have HIV screening and vice versa, as
syphilis is one of the most common
infectious diseases associated with HIV-positive patients. Early detection and treatment are important for a good visual outcome.